The present invention relates to loading and threading foil material or ribbon material into a threadable mechanism. In particular, the present invention relates to positioning of the foil material after passing through a portion of a flow path of a topping mechanism so that it can be hand threaded through a remainder of the flow path.
In mechanisms requiring threading a film or foil material through a complex flow path, generally the material must be threaded under a lower guide and up and around an upper guide at some point in the flow path. In a topping operation in which foil is placed on the raised letters of a plastic card, a first problem arises when attempting to direct the foil material under a lower guide. The mechanism's configuration may cause the foil material to bunch up and clog, requiring another attempt to thread the material. Problems may also arise when moving the ribbon material from the lower position up through cramped spaces to an upper position in the winding flow path. Limited spaces, sharp points and edges, and heated elements frequently make the task particularly troublesome. The limited space is often too small to reach through by hand, necessitating other means of threading the foil or ribbon material. In such instances, prior foil advancing methods required pivoting the mechanism up for access, inserting additional foil guides, or resorting to a wand or stick to raise the foil material. A further advance was placing tape or glue at the end of the stick to pick up the foil material. This method is unsatisfactory, as a stick or wand is difficult to manipulate, causing problems in picking up the foil material, often requiring substantial time. Using a stick with tape or glue at one end may also damage the mechanism or tear and scratch the fragile foil material.
It is evident that an improved apparatus for advancing foil material along certain winding points in a flow path is needed. The present invention addresses these problems providing an easy method of loading the foil material into proper position in the flow path, and providing relatively safe handling of the foil or ribbon material. The present invention solves these and other problems associated with foil or ribbon loading and threading.